Why colleges keep emailing me?

Hey guys, I've been receiving a bunch of emails from colleges lately and I'm a little confused. Why are they reaching out to me? Are they genuinely interested or just trying to boost their applicant numbers?

It's completely normal for high school students to receive emails from colleges during the admission process. There are two primary reasons why colleges might be emailing you:

1. Marketing and outreach: Colleges are constantly trying to attract more students, showcase their campus and programs, and increase interest in their institution. By reaching out to you via email, they're hoping to pique your interest and get you to consider applying to their school. These emails are essentially advertising campaigns designed to show you what their college has to offer.

2. Boosting applicant numbers: Another reason colleges email prospective students is to increase the number of applicants, which ultimately helps lower their acceptance rate and improve their rankings. When more students apply and the college accepts the same number of students as before, the acceptance rate goes down, making the college look more selective and competitive. This is a common strategy among colleges looking to improve their reputation or appear more prestigious.

It's important to note that getting an email from a college doesn't necessarily mean they're particularly interested in you as an applicant. Rather, it's a general marketing strategy that might have been triggered by something like your PSAT scores, extracurricular activities, or demographic information that the college obtained from a variety of sources, such as College Board. You should still do your own research on the colleges that interest you and make sure they align with your goals and preferences.

So, while these emails may be exciting or validating, remember to view them as information-gathering opportunities and not necessarily as an indication that a college is specifically interested in you. Use the emails to learn more about the schools, but focus on your own list of favorite schools and what's most important to you when choosing where to apply.